Stuff I Use
Inspired by projects like The Setup, and from Fred Hohman (where I forked this Github site from) here is the stuff I personally use day to day.
What kind of bag?
Thanks to my wonderful boyfriend getting me this bag for my Doctoral graduation gift, because I’d never buy it for myself, I carry a Ghurka Examiner No. 5 to and from work every day. This bag also used to serve as my Notary bag while I was living in Florida but since moving back for work, this is a much better use of this absolutely beautiful briefcase. If you have a Ghurka of your own, or know someone who owns one, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
If I’m flying somewhere other than back home to Florida, or for work, my go to switchout is The Nomatic Backpack. Before my Ghurka No. 5, this was my everyday bag for years while I was commuting on the T to and from work. Some of my favorite things about this bag, and why I still keep it around, are all the pockets in the front and inner compartments, and the pass-thru ports which allows you to pull a cord from a portable battery through the bag. This makes it so convenient to charge your phone or tablet without needing to open and unzip your whole bag.
What’s actually in my bag?
I try to travel pretty light on the daily with the walk to and from my office from the train station but I do have a few necessities I never leave home without. My left front pocket is my “tech” pocket with my Apple MagSafe Battery, a pouch with a spare Lightning cable, Apple Watch charger, and of course, a USB-C wall adapter. My work ID cards and lanyard are also stuffed in this pocket, too.
The right pocket, on the other hand, is filled with a bit more odds and ends, but one thing I recently invested in is the Orbitkey Leather Key Organizer and this thing is awesome. All of my work keys aren’t thrown in my bag anymore and they’re nice and neatly contained in the leather wrap (which very nicely matches the color of my bag, too).
In the main compartment of my bag is usually my (work) laptop, wallet, powerbrick, and 28oz. Hydroflask tumbler. Let me tell you, I love my Mophie Powerbank… It’s the “Powerstation XXL” with a massive 20,000mAh battery which let’s me recharge my iPhone two or three times to 100%. The other thing I love about this portable battery is it has both USB-A and USB-C ports for charging devices which means I don’t need to carry two Lightning cables.
I’m 100% a sucker for Apple products, I have an AirTag on my Orbitkey and in my briefcase because, honestly, if my head wasn’t attached, I’d leave that somewhere too. One thing I really recommend if you’re putting an AirTag on your keychain or something similar is the laylion Minimalist AirTag Keychain. This Airtag holder connects between the battery cover and the AirTag itself allowing you to have your AirTag nicely displayed on your keys. For my car keys, I like the standard AirTag Leather Key Ring in Golden Brown.
I’m a bit old school sometimes
Anyone who has worked with me knows about my “red book” that I write everything down in. These red books are nothing more than a simple AT-A-GLANCE yearly page-a-day Standard Diary. I prefer the 5-3/4” x 8-1/4” size, it’s the easiest to fit in my bag, carry around campus, etc…
I’m a stickler for pens too, especially with the paper the Standard Diary uses. When I’m writing in this book specifically, I like to use medium point PILOT Acroball Pro Advanced Ink Ball Point Pens, in blue ink, paired with yellow Sharpie Chisel Highlighters. This pen/highlighter combination is really my go to in any writing situation, a dozen of each will usually last me about a year. If I’m writing something I know isn’t going to be highlighted, I recently fell in love with the uniball Air 0.7mm pens, in blue ink of course. I used to use these pens while I was out on Notary assignments but they kept getting stolen!
Computer
When I’m at my desk either at home or at work, I connect to a 24” Dell UltraSharp USB-C Hub Monitor using a single USB-C cable for power, internet, and other peripherals. I live by the Logitech MX Master mouse and Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. I’m very particular with the keyboard though, Microsoft changed the plastic they make the keys with in the newer models and it’s absolutely terrible! This unfortunately forces me to resort to eBay to search for replacement keyboards when mine seem to die.
Audio
This is probably the easiest section to write! Aside from my AirPod Pro’s, both at home and in the office I have the Bose Companion 20 speakers. These speakers, or any speakers from Bose, are second to none and worth every penny.
Mobile
I’m currently carrying a 256GB gold iPhone 13 Pro Max, sporting a plain clear case with the iPhone Leather MagSafe Wallet in Sequoia Green attached to the back. I also have an older iPad Pro with me most days but it doesn’t see too much use anymore. I also wear a Series 5 Apple Watch with a stainless link band everyday, too.
Paired with my Apple Watch you’ll usually catch me wearing my Alex and Ani Path of Life bracelet which was a present from one of my best friends, or my Miansai Noir Cuff if I’m doing something I can’t wear a charm.
Last Updated: August 2022
